Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  November 2, 2012 11:00am-12:00pm EDT

11:00 am
the jeep plant who have been calling their employers worried, asking is it true, are our jobs being shipped to china? and the reason that they are making these calls is because governor romney has been running an ad that says so. except, it is not true. everybody knows that it is not true. hard fought campaign in ohio today the president in hilliard, ohio, fighting for the electoral votes that he and his competitor so fiercely want to win. that is the state to win, as you know, and it is all about ohio, ohio, ohio, but for governor romney, today, he is not going to be ignoring that state either. he is going to be speaking in ohio as well as wisconsin. we are live in the box below your screen to the right of me, the pregame warmup for governor
11:01 am
romney in west allis, wisconsin, under way, and we are keeping a live eye on that for you, because we will show to governor's speech just as soon as he gets under way and headed to ohio. it is a very busy day for both candidates, and we are four days away from the national election, and we all know that it is critical, and we all know that today's jobs report is also critical. a brand new number gives both campaigns a whole lot to talk about, and we do plan to talk about it, too. we will. but, my god, have you seen staten island today? talk about a battleground. this is gut-wrenching. the struggle for mere survival is playing out in a new york borough of this country's largest city 3 1/2 days after the onslaught of superstorm sandy. the extent of the devastation in staten island, and the desperation there is only now coming into focus. take for instance the death toll alone. at least 19 people, and that is
11:02 am
almost half of the total for the entire toll for new york city, a and there is no light. there is no heat. there is no power. food now has been running short. fear has been running high. just listen to this woman. >> we are going to die if we get killed with the weather. we are going to die. we are going to the freeze. we have 90-year-old people. we are going to die. you don't understand. you have to get your trucks here on this corner, now. >> we are trying to get to you -- >> this is three days. >> the man to whom donna solli was pouring out her heart was new york's senior senator charles schumer who was on a tour of staten island, and even for those of us who live in the new york area, the death and the destruction unleashed by sandy and the pain and the fear of the recovery process are really difficult to completely comprehend. take for instance all of the people working behind me who are
11:03 am
coming to work and seeing this as they pass by. no gas. people are lining up everywhere with cans and if they are not sitting in their cars for hours to wait to get a drop of gas from a pump that might have power, because many of the fuel pumps don't have power. so there are gas shortages. there are food shortages in a place like new york city where almost every corner, you can get something to eat or you can buy something in a convenient store, at least there's water on somes, but you can barely get a bagel in many places. sandbagging, all of these things are still part of the issue with the flood iing. it is still a problem. batteries, water, matches, candles -- all of these things that you may take for granted, many people in the area surrounding new york can't take a shower. they can't flush their toilet. they can't even open their faucets to get a drink. watch this, just getting water out of the street corner. it is remarkable.
11:04 am
many people are told whatever you do, boil it. boil it. on the streets of new york city and in the surrounding communities, traffic gridlock. the problem is no power to the traffic lights. so even if you are in the city or outside of the city, it is pr pretty much dark even when it is light outside. brian todd joins me now from staten island. i also want to add before i get to you, brian, there was a report out today that now five people have died because of co2 poisoning and trying to heat themselves with generators and maybe not positioning them the right way, and now the co2 poisoning has i claimed five lives. i want to get to you, brian, because not many people knew how bad the situation was in staten island until the pictures started rolling in. what is it like there now? >> well, it is a scene of devastation. there are national guard troos s
11:05 am
around me, and some are coming down the street now, and our photojournalist can pan over to see them, and show you some of the activity. they are starting to pick up the pieces and get some help, but it is a huge sense among many people in the neighborhood of being overwhelmed. food is scarce here, although some food has been brought in. and much of the food has been brought in from neighborhood organizations and restaurants and local community members who live outside of the area affected brought in food and clothing, but we have to say that since the initial complaints fema has arrive od r the ground in some presence here and the red cross have set up not far from here, and bu bulldozers and city sanitation trucks and one coming down the street now, and they are all buzzing around to clear the debris from the streets. here comes one. but even with all of the activity here, it is still devastation and looks like a war zone. this is the st. george orthodox
11:06 am
ch church, and the basement flooded out and one estimate is $100,000 worth of damage, because they had to toss out everything in the basement they use to feed people on sundays. chairs and oven and stove here and refrigerator tossed out. all of the debris, they have had to clear out. they don't know if they will salvage much of the basement. that will give you a feel of the sense of devastation here, ashleigh. you know, people here are just kind of doing what they can to pick up and move on, but it is very slow process. >> the question is slow process, and that is the question as you look to the pictures to the right of you on the screen. it would seem as though staten island would have been in the same predicament as all of the communities in and that was dire strait, needing help right away, and yet three days later, there is donna sollis feeling like she would die and they were freezing overnight. is it that staten island is isolated because of the bridges and nobody could get to them
11:07 am
right away and images like this played out owithout people knowing much about it? >> well, staten island was certainly isolated in some measure. i think that the picture is not quite clear about how it got so isolated and why it took several days for some relief to get to the people after the storm. ashleigh, i'm not sure about the bridges, but i know that traveling to staten island is difficult. roads have been closed and traffic has been incredibly stalled in trying to move around and trees down on roads and long lines for gas have really complicated things. so we know that logistically getting the relief supplies here, and getting the agencies on the ground has been difficult, but, you know what, we have gotten here, and it is not impossible. you can get here. and people have a sense that they were almost ignored for a couple of days and starting to maybe ascertain some answers he here. >> can you tell me, what about the marathon, because there is a lot of talk about the mayor wanting the new york city marathon to go as planned this
11:08 am
sunday, but it starts on staten island and i have been hearing that there are a lot of people where you are standing are none too happy that there is a marathon playing out while they are waiting to be rescued. >> yes. about every five minutes and let me let the bulldozer pass. every five minutes we do hear from someone -- sorry about that, it is a fluid situation on the street, obviously. every five minutes we hear from somebody who is upset about the marathon taking place, and by the i wasway, it starts only a miles from here at the verazzano-narrows bridge, and people are irate they are going on with this. the mayor has said that the marathon won't divert the resources from here or the people in the city who need them, but the timing of it and the fact that it is almost a sense that this is business as usual going on while you see scenes like this a few miles away is what kind of gets at people, ashleigh. >> oh, brian, such a mess.
11:09 am
thank you for getting there and bringing light to staten island which is up until now not many people had known about and now you do. brian todd reporting for us. cnn.com/impact by the way if you want the help out. the people of staten island need the held they can get and that is only beginning with the pictures from the jersey shore and the people from long island hit as well. i want to remind you sh, big ne of the election and the jobs report. we are keeping an eye as well on west allis, wisconsin, where governor romney has amassed a very large group for a rl rallyt to get under way. you see a sign in the front that says "jobs" and there is a reason, because there was a jobs repo report today. we will give you the breakdown of what it meant and what is the significance of the last jobs report before tuesday's election. you will hear from mitt romney in a moment things are beginning to get rolling. and regions is here to help.
11:10 am
making it easier with the expertise and service to keep those wheels turning. from business loans to cash management, we want to be your partner moving forward. so switch to regions. and let's get going. together. who have used androgel 1%, there's big news. presenting androgel 1.62%. both are used to treat men with low testosterone. androgel 1.62% is from the makers of the number one prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. it raises your testosterone levels, and... is concentrated, so you could use less gel. and with androgel 1.62%, you can save on your monthly prescription. [ male announcer ] dosing and application sites between these products differ. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or, signs in a woman which may include changes in body hair or a large increase in acne,
11:11 am
possibly due to accidental exposure. men with breast cancer or who have or might have prostate cancer, and women who are, or may become pregnant or are breast feeding should not use androgel. serious side effects include worsening of an enlarged prostate, possible increased risk of prostate cancer, lower sperm count, swelling of ankles, feet, or body, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing during sleep, and blood clots in the legs. tell your doctor about your medical conditions and medications, especially insulin, corticosteroids, or medicines to decrease blood clotting. talk to your doctor today about androgel 1.62% so you can use less gel. log on now to androgeloffer.com and you could pay as little as ten dollars a month for androgel 1.62%. what are you waiting for? this is big news.
11:12 am
. so there is other big news this morning, news of the last monthly jobs report before americans go to the polls
11:13 am
tuesday. 171,000 jobs were added in the month of october. beating expectations. that is the good news, but the bad news is that the jobless rate ticked up 0.1 from 7.8% to 7.9%. it is a report as the northeast continues to endure hardship in the aftermath of sandy and with four days until the presidential election both the storm and the jobs report could have a big impact on who takes the white house. i'm joined by cnn's business correspondent christine romans. you had a great analogy as to why this jobs report and this one in particular is so important. >> it is the last ingredient to make the cake. and now you bake the cake and you have all of the information and the last big economic report before you decide who to vote for, for president of the united states. it is the last bit of information they can take out on the the campaign trail. >> and how will that help? >> well, you have a unemployment
11:14 am
rate that is tistill too high, d ticking up, because more people are trying to get into the labor job. >> and we have revision numbers from august that weren't bad. >> yes, that is right, you see 148,000 in september and 192,000 in august, and these are mooing in the right direction. >> this is not unusual to have revisions. >> no, it is not unusual. if you look at the averages which is 157,000 jobs on average created every month which is barely keeping up with the population growth, and tread in water is what i would say that the labor market is doing. >> we talk about the jobs report as something called the employment report and we also have the underemployment story. >> you hear it call people call it the surreal unemployment, ashleigh, and you have heard governor romney talk about this on the campaign trail and he may talk about it momentarily on the cam a
11:15 am
cammane pain trail. it is ticking down, but it is higher that on the advertised jobless rate. what is the underemployed rate? well, it is underemployed workers and discouraged workers and marginally detached from the workforce and they are not looking, and they would look if they had a prospect, and people who have a part time job and want to work full time, but they took a part time job because it is all they have. >> so they have stopped looking for the full-time job and not counted in the numbers anymore, right? >> well, they are counted in the numbers, but overall, underemploy underemployed and the part-time workers and the discouraged workers and people who are ready to get back in, but can't, and that is still too high. >> i want to go to ali velshi, because he is in a bus rolling. >> ask him about the swing states. >> yes, let me bring in ali velshi on a bus in toledo, ohio. okay. i know you can call the game in september a
11:16 am
aus gu august and september, but what about october, and is this enough ammo for governor romney in the next few stops? >> well, i am worried to opine on these things, because then everybody is nuts who you are opininging for. i am not opining for anybody. i have had the same view forever. we have to compare the rate to jobs gained and the hours work and the type of jobs they get. two, we look at the trend. i would love there to be 250,000 jobs a month created. that is not what you are going to get out of the economy that we came out of. so general ly speaking, this is advantage obama, because he has had job growth since he has come into office with the exception of a few months, but, you know, if i were working for the romney came pain, i would say, really? 7.9% unemployment, and job growth that is not anywhere close to what you are saying it is going to be over the next four years and why should we listen to you about that when you have not done it in this
11:17 am
period of time. and then the issue of quality of jobs. president obama can say that he has replaced and more every single job that was lost on his watch, because of a recession that he didn't recreate, but presidential candidate romney says, it is not enough. these are not great quality jobs. so i said earlier today that the revisions to august and september and then the new number for october, 171,000, it is in the vicinity of good job creation. plus 200,000 a month would be good job creation. in august we got 192, and then in september down to 171, and that is in the vicinity and going this the right direction, but i dare say that this is fun by both sides to do whatever they want to makef of it. >> well, let's let the spinning begin, shall we, mr. velshi. this is some of it right here. i would like to read to you mitt romney's immediate campaign reaction to the jobs numbers that came out a short time ago. he says in part, today's
11:18 am
increase in the unemployment rate is a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill. when i'm president, i'm going to make real changes that lead to a real recovery. of course, the president who is also campaigning today had reaction, and in fact, we have just had reaction in the last hour where he was campaigning in columbus, ohio, down state from you, and let me play a quick sound bite we have been able to turn. >> today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs and this morning we learn ed that the companies have hired more workers in october than at any time in the last eight months. >> so, ali, being that you are in ohio and perhaps the most critical swing state. i asked christine about the swing states burk, but i did noe enough time for an answer, but how are the people in ohio reacting to these numbers,
11:19 am
because their jobs are generally good. >> well, you know, christine over me, but this is ohio a place troubled for years and decade. they had the second biggest steel producer after pittsburgh and then autos and autos started to take a hit in 2005. unemployment now is lower than the national average in ohio, in the rust belt. now a lot of things are going on here. natural gas, and the auto industry is back, and i'm in toledo where there is a jeep plant and i was in youngstown where the large gm plant exists. look at the swing states, florida, ohio and virginia and florida's unemployment rate is high er th higher that on the national average but virginia and ohio are lower. around here people are feeling good and like it is in an upswing. i'm in toledo and they have a good deal of vacancy in the downtown buildings, but they are coming back. the question is who do you credit? this state has a republican governor like florida and virginia and wisconsin and who
11:20 am
to you credit for this? most people talking about here are showing what the polls are showing a slight edge for obama. and the question is who goes otut vote and whout to vote, and what happen s s toe undecideds, because there are still some. >> and we will let the viewers know how it stands in ohio. i though you have to get back on the tour bus. appreciate your doing that for us. and the key battleground state ohio, and no offense, florida, because we love you, too. but i want to let you know about a buckeye presidential poll that will kick off at 4:00 p.m. on cn. meanwhile on the october jobs report, we have a plethora of information for you at cnnmoney.com. we will be back with a whole lot more on the election and mitt romney's live appearance coming up. [ nurse ] i'm a hospice nurse.
11:21 am
britta olsen is my patient. i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand. "not tonight, britta. not tonight." [ female announcer ] to nurses everywhere, thank you, from johnson & johnson. is efficiently absorbed in small continuous amounts. citracal slow release continuously releases calcium plus d with efficient absorption in one daily dose. citracal slow release.
11:22 am
prand you're seeing that rightno quit in amnow.a... over five million new jobs. exports up forty one percent. home values... rising. our auto industry... back. and our heroes are coming home. we're not there yet, but we've made real progress and the... last thing we should do is turn back now. here's my plan for the next four years: making education and training a national priority; building on our manufacturing boom; boosting american-made energy; reducing the deficits responsibly by cutting where... we can, and asking the wealthy to pay a little more. and ending the war in afghanistan, so we can... do some nation-building here at home. that's the right path. so read my plan, compare it to governor romney's... and decide which is better for you. it's an honor to be your president... and i'm asking for your vote... so together, we can keep moving america forward. i'm barack obama and i approve this message.
11:23 am
but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today.
11:24 am
we mentioned that speedy condemnation of the october jobs report from team romney, and at any second, the candidate, himself, is due to give what is called a closing argument in his running mate's home state of wisconsin. we have been watching the live mike and he is not at it yet, but jim acosta has his mike up and he is joining us from the suburb of milwaukee in west allis. i'm a big fan of the courtroom and closing arguments, means it is over, but this is not the last time we will hear from mitt romney until tuesday, so why closing arguments? >> that is right, ashleigh.
11:25 am
what we are seeing today is two closing arguments and the real contrast in the race unfolding out at the events. president obama was talking about the jobs report that came out earlier this morning and describing that as what he called real progress, and in a few moments you will hear the gop nominee mitt romney come out to talk about what he wants to deliver for the country, and he is call ing thing that a real c. h is not only the closing argument that we will be hearing this morning, ashleigh, but we will hear mitt romney talk about the jobs report and he released a statement earlier in the morning, as you know, and described the jobs report as proof that the economy is at a standstill, and he has released xerp excerpts from the speech he will be delivering and he expects to say that the words are cheap, and the record is real, and we will hear words like that from mitt romney. as we mentioned wisconsin is the home state of his running mate
11:26 am
paul ryan -- >> let me jump in, jim, because over your shoulder governor scott walker introducing mitt romney gave the roaring crowd what they wanted, and that was mitt romney who has just come out the greet some of the supporters behind him, and he is going to take to the lectern at any moment, and remind the viewers that at the very front of the auditorium there is a sign that says "jobs" and you can bet your bottom dollar that my colleague christine romans just mentioned he will be talk tact jobs talking about the jobs report when he has a chance to address the crowd. let's listen in. >> you guys are amazing. thank you so much. what a welcome. thank you. that is a very generous welcome. thank you.
11:27 am
[ crowd chanting "four more days" ] >> thank you so much. you got that one right. you have that absolutely right. four more days. this is a -- wow, a great experience to be here with you today. this is so exciting. what a great state. what a great welcome and by the way, this state is going to help me to become the next president of the united states. i want to thank governor walker for that extraordinary introduction and what a great governor you have here. very lucky. i know that took some work. senator johnson, thank you. senator johnson, thank you for your help and lieutenant governor claire fish, and former
11:28 am
united states senator tommy thompson, thank you, tommy. chairman reince priebus, a hometown guy and hall of famer bart starr, thank you very much. thank you. old friends here, too, ann wall, kind of her to speak here. my son is also joining us, and my youngest son who has been campaigning michigan boys have been campaigning all over the country, and this has been a family affair for us, and their support means a lot to me, and yours and the work you have done and the contacts made in wisconsin over the last month have just blown everybody away. i want to thank you for the work you are doing that is going to help us get this victory. now, our thoughts today turn to the people in the country that are still recovering in many cases from the hurricane that hit the atlantic coast. a lot of people are having tough
11:29 am
times, and i hope you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers and if you have an extra dollar or more, send it to the american red cross or to the salvation army or other relief organizations to help fellow americans. we are a nation of generous heart. those hearts are called upon at a time of crisis like this. i want to thank -- [ applause ] i want to thank you for all that you have done and all you will do in the next four days. i want to tell you how much i appreciate being in the home of the next vice president of the united states. you know, next to ann romney, paul ryan is the best choice i have ever made, i have to tell you.
11:30 am
now, we are just entering the final weekend of the campaign. and as you know, at the obama rallies they are shouting "four more years, four more years" and i heard you, we are shouting "four more days, four more days." we are so grateful to you and frankly people across the country for all that you have done and they have done to give yourselves to the campaign. as you though, this is is not about just paul and me, but this is about america, and it is about the future that we will leave to our children. we thank you. we ask you to stay at it all of the way to the finish line, because we are going to win on tuesday night.
11:31 am
you know, the closing hours of a campaign have a dynamic all their own. a lot of voters have known for some time who they were going to vote for, but there are others who are just now putting aside the demands of the daily life and considering how their vote will affect their own life, the life of their children and of course the course of the country that we love. we ask them and you to look beyond the speeches and the attacks and the ads. look to the record. to the accomplishments and the failures and the judgments. words are cheap. a record is real and it is earned with real effort. real change is not measured in words. real change is measured in achievement.
11:32 am
four years ago candidate obama promised the do so very much, but he has fallen so very short. he promised to be a post partisan president. but he became the most partisan, and blaming and attacking and dividing. he said he would toe kus focus and instead, he killed jobs. he said he would lower the deficit, but then he doubled it. he said he would lower the unemployment rate and today, we learned it is 7.1%, and that is 9 million jobs short of what he promised. unemployment is higher today than when barack obama took office. think of that, today's unemployment is higher today than the day barack obama took office. he promised to save social security and medicare from insolvency, and he didn't. rather he raided $716 billion from medicare to pay for the
11:33 am
obama devoted obama care. he said he would lower health care insurance premiums for the average family by $2,500 a year by each other, and now they are $3,000 higher for a average family. and gasoline, the american family now pays $2,000 a year more for gasoline than when he was elected. of course, he also said he would work across the aisle on the most important issues. listen to, this he has not met on the economy or the budget or on jobs with either of the republican leader of the house or the senate since july. instead of bridging the divide, he's made it wider. now how is it that he has fallen so short of what he promised? in part, it is because he never led before. he never worked across the aisle before, and he never truly understood how jobs are created
11:34 am
this the economy. and today, he is of course making new promises. promises he will be unable to keep. because he admits that he will stay on the same path he is on, and the same course we have been on will not lead to a better destination. and you know this. the same path we are on means $20 trillion in debt in four years. it means crippling unemployment continues. it means stagnant take-home pay, and devastated military and depressed home values. unless we change course, we may well be looking at another recession. the question of the election comes down the this -- do you want more of the same, or do you want real change? h we bring real change.
11:35 am
candidate obama promised change, but he could not deliver it. i promise change, but i have a record of achieving it. i built a business. i turned around another. i helped put an olympics back on track. with a democrat-led legislature i helped to turn my state from deficit to surplus, from job losses to job gains, and higher taxes to higher take-home pay. th that's change. this is why i'm running for president. i know how the change the course of the country is on and how to
11:36 am
get us to a ball lanced budget and how the build jobs and help raise take-home pay, and accomplishing real change is something that i don't just talk about. it is something that i have done. it is what i am going to do when i'm president of the united states with your help. so, the people across america, if you believe we can do better, and if you believe that america should be on a better course, and if you are tired of being tired, then i ask you to vote for real change. paul ryan and i will bring real change to america from day one. now i know that when i am
11:37 am
elected the economy and the american job market will be stagnant, but i won't waste any time complaining about my predecessor. i won't spend my effort trying to pass partisan legislation that is unrelated to economic growth. from day one, i will go the work to help americans get back to work. people across the country are responding to our five-part plan to create jobs. part 1, as you know, taking full advantage of the energy resources. on day one, on day one, i will act to increase the number of leases and permits to drill on federal lands. i will act to speed the approval of the keystone pipeline from
11:38 am
canada. i'll revisit coal regulations that were designed by the administration to strangle the industry and instead make shure that we can use the resources that we have in a clean and responsible way. you see, on day one, we will be closer to north american energy independence. now, second, i'm going to move to boost trade especially with latin america. i will ask congress for trade promotion authority, and that is a power that every president has used or requested since it was requested in 1974, oh, except president obama. i will finally designate china as the currency manipulator and it is time to get trade to work
11:39 am
for america. >> and you have been listening to governor romney's live campaign speech in west allis, wisconsin. wisconsin is of course the home of his vice presidential running mate, paul ryan. one of the things that he was driving home and you can expect to hear for the next four days before election day is the unemployment rate and one of the talking points is that he got out of the speech that unemployment is higher today than when the president took office, and he can say that, because today there was and up tic from 7.8% to 7.9% and when president obama took office, it was 7.8%. the numbers while beating expectations are sluggish at 171,000 jobs. by the way, you can continue to watch the governor's live watch at cnn.com, and we will keep streaming all of the speeches live. we have so much news to get in as well. i want to show you one thing that is critical with regard to wisconsin, because that is where the governor is today. he is also going to hit up ohio, but we have a couple of polls for you in wisconsin and show that it is a uphill battle for
11:40 am
the governor. president obama has a three-point lead if you look at the nbc/"wall street journal" "maris poll, but if you look at the law school poll, it is 58% to 41%. both took out op-ed articles in the "wall street journal," and for cnn.com, both of these gentlemen going live today with the op-eds on our website. i highly encourage you to go the cnn.com and read both of the candidates' op-eds and you will be enlightened in some way or another. we are right back after this. ♪
11:41 am
(sirens) (train horn) ♪ vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities.
11:42 am
ffor help finding a plan that's right for you, give unitedhealthcare a call today.
11:43 am
just four days, yes, and repeat it enough, four days to
11:44 am
go to the polls, and that is four days to reach the reachable and sway the swayable for the candidates who want your vote. you have heard it for months, you have four more days to hear it. ohio, you have 18 electoral votes, and it is critical. barack obama and mitt romney want all of the 18 electoral votes, and while governor mitt romney made the closing argument speech from wisconsin, he is going to be heading ba back to the buckeye state tonight where he will kick off the cross country tour before the big day on tuesday. for the president e's part, it all about the ground game. get out and vote will be the message in three critical cities that are on your map. lima, hilliard and west chester in particular, and hilliard is where he spoke moments ago. have a listen to what he said before this rousing crowd. >> by the way, i think that you may have noticed that everybody is paying a lot of attention to ohio. and rightfully so.
11:45 am
this is a choice not just with between two candidates or two parties, but it is a choice between two fundamentally different visions of america. >> our don lemon is live in ohio where he is speaking with a whole lot of voters there in that state, and get a sense of how tight the race is. hello, my friend. i would love to be where you are right now to speak to the people at the center of the election and so many people think that ohio may be the kingmaker, and do the people of ohio know that the glasses are on them? >> well, i don't know. it is cold here, so you may not want to be where i am. and by the way, nice glasses, ashleigh. >> by the way, don lemon, 1977. 1977, and just so we are straight. >> listen, yes. everybody knows it, and just to tell you that this is almost the capital right now. when we checked into our hotel
11:46 am
mitt romney was staying there, and they moved to us a bigger room so that my crew and i could work on a story, and guess whose room we moved into? mitt romney's room that i was staying in the night before. i am staying in a hotel near the dayton area. here in columbus, i went to breakfast this morning and the people sitting next to me were fox people. i checked out of another hotel last night, it was someone from valerie jarrett's office. everybody is here in ohio no matter where you go, especially in the big cities, and yes the people here know that you cannot escape it. that is all they talk about and they know, because that is every single ad on their television. every single one except for maybe a public service announcement here and there, and they are well aware of it, ashleigh. >> i will bet you that this year more than any other year with all of the super pacs and the funding that the ads have been blanket i
11:47 am
blanketing them more than ever before. i feel for all of the folks who live in the state where you are. don lemon, good to see you, and i know we will see a lot more of you in columbus, ohio. stay warm, my friend. >> i'll try. i got my gloves. thank you. >> attaboy. attaboy. all right. now, you don't have to be one of those campaign rallies to hear from the president and from mitt romney. you can go the cnn.com and i mentioned this before and it bears repeating, both of these gentlemen were kind enough to write op-eds specifically for cnn.com. these were exclusive to us. and we are thrilled that they both did it es esh pi pecially same time. it lays out the vision for america. you heard the president say it come dos s down to two fundamen different views of america. hopefully if that confuses you, hopefully four days before the election they can tell you what they feel represents your voice. i do hope you do this before you
11:48 am
go to the polls, and you do go to the polls. in the event that you do or don't tune into cnn for election coverage night. this is what we do really well. our team will break down the results state by state with the expert analysis. and that expert coverage will be heralded by wolf blitzer on november 6th starting at 6:00 p.m. don't miss it. oh...there you go. wooohooo....hahaahahaha! i'm gonna stand up to her! no you're not. i know. you know ronny folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. how happy are they jimmy? happier than a witch in a broom factory. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. to volunteer to help those in need. when a twinge of back pain surprises him. morning starts in high spirits, but there's a growing pain in his lower back. as lines grow longer, his pain continues to linger.
11:49 am
but after a long day of helping others, he gets some helpful advice. just two aleve have the strength to keep back pain away all day. today, jason chose aleve. just two pills for all day pain relief. try aleve d for strong, all day long sinus and headache relief.
11:50 am
three words dad, e-trade financial consultants. they'll hook you up with a solid plan. wa-- wa-- wait a minute; bobby? bobby! what are you doing man? i'm speed dating! [ male announcer ] get investing advice for your family at e-trade. at meineke i have options... like oil changes starting at $19.95. my money. my choice.
11:51 am
my meineke. we are doing a lot of coverage on the election and we are doing a lot of coverage on this storm. as more days past, it's simply impossible to ignore the heartache that's been left behind by sandy, and i just want to tell you this. i not just ae heartache that's been left behind. it is the death toll that continues to climb. we're getting new numbers. i hate to say it but almost by the hour it seems. we're now at 92 people in the united states who have died because sandy ripped through their homes and neighborhoods. among those survivors, two little boys on staten island, 2 and 4 years old. they were torn literally from their mother's arms by floodwater that they tried to escape from their suv. their bodies were found here in this marsh just 100 feet away from each other, but their mom -- their story -- their mom
11:52 am
told police that her boys actually could have been saved. not by a miracle, but just by a neighbor. now this mother is left with the words if only. >> reporter: a ford explorer on the side of the street. the car seats remain where two little boys were sitting as their mother glenda was driving during hurricane sandy, desperately looking for shelter. the story of what happened to glenda and her sons brandon and connor is sad, horrifying, terrifying. she was driving her suv down this street. it plunged into this hole during the height of hurricane sandy. she then got out of the vehicle with her 2-year-old son and 4-year-old son. remember, it is pouring rain, torrential. the winds 90 miles per hour. she comes over here to this tree and holds on to the tree, grabs the branches, grabs the sdpree holds on to her sons at the same time. she did this according to police for hours. that's what she told the police.
11:53 am
she then says she went up to this house right behind me. knocked on the door. a man was inside and pleaded with him to let us inside your house. she said according to police the man would not let her in the house with her sons. she then went to the back, stood on the balcony and tried to break the window to break into the house, wasn't able to, and ultimately floodwaters came through and swept her sons away. everyone was wishing for a miracle on the search for the children, but there really wasn't any optimism the boys would be found alive. morning city police used a fan boat to look for them in the nearby marsh. police divers walked through the marsh. sadly, the bodies of both children were found not far from each other, about a quarter mile away from where glenda last held them. family members say glenda is too distraught to talk to us. we wanted to meet the man who lived in the house where police say glenda sought protection. no one answered the door. while we were standing near the house on public property an angry man appeared. >> get the hell out.
11:54 am
stop showing me. it's my house. no cameras here. stop, stop, stop. get the hell out. >> can i ask you did the woman knock on your door to -- >> alan did not want to say his last name, but the house in question is his, and hes every says he was inside during the hurricane. >> the police say that glenda came with her two sons knocked on your door asking to go in during the hurricane. >> absolutely not. >> you did not see a woman with two children? >> absolutely not. >> so what she told the police -- >> i never saw anybody. i just saw a man. >> he didn't come to the door. the stairs on the back of the house, and he came -- he was standing. he must have been standing at the bottom of the stairs. >> what did he do? >> he took a concrete flower pot. there's one in the backyard. there were two of them. he flue one of them through the door. >> they're saying after you didn't let her in that she tried to break a window to get in. possibly you're mistaken? >> no. i -- i had to stay there all night. i sat all night with my back against the door in the kitchen. >> let me ask you, the man -- if a man threw a flower pot, did you let the man in your house?
11:55 am
>> he didn't ask to come in. he asked me to come out and help him. >> did you help him? >> what could coup i do to help him? i'm wearing the same clothes. i had these shorts on. this is my brother's jackets. i had a pair of shorts on with flip-flops, and i was going to come out -- >> you are saying you did not see a woman and two children? you saw a man? >> a man, yes. >> you must feel terrible for this woman and her two children, right? >> yeah. did they find the children? i don't even know. >> they found them. they found them dead. >> of course, it's a tragedy. of course. absolutely. it's unfortunate she shouldn't have been out, though. it's one of those things. shouldn't have been on the road. >> a lot of people are. they were looking for help. >> there's nothing i could do. i'm not a rescue worker. people said rescue workers don't endanger the lives of rescue workers. if i would have been outside, i would have been dead. >> alan says police have talked to him. he told them the same story he told us. an upsetting story about a most tragic night. >> gary tuckman, cnn.
11:56 am
>> you know, there are -- there's no words. people on staten island so, many of them are suffering today in the aftermath, and i want to go to one person who has had to endure just a terrible night. his name is chris, and he joins me now. chris, i want to ask you about your night. you evacuated your wife and children, but you stayed with your home, and you watched as your home flooded to the first floor. can you tell me what you saw out your window, what was happening with your neighbors? >> yeah. basically i -- i did evacuate to my sister's house. she refused to leave, so i stayed with her, and my brother was there also, and the water just rose so quick. it was unbelievable. we ran to the first floor. i thought let's just get out of here. i made a run for my truck, but i
11:57 am
already noticed the water was up to my truck, the hood. by the time i turned around and looked back again, it was two feet higher. the water rose basically like ten feet in about it seemed like about 20, 30 seconds, and it was approaching the next level so, we ran up to the next level and watched from the windows there, and the back of the house we watched looking towards the ocean and basically there was about 13 feet of water on the ground, but that was enough where the ocean was continuous. there was waves hitting the house. the house was shaking. >> we're seeing some of the pictures from your community, and i know that you saw your neighbor flashing sos with a flashlight, and i'm just -- i'm so sorry for all of you, your neighbors, you, and everyone else who is having to endure this in staten island and elsewhere. i'm out of time, chris. i'm rry. that story from gary tuckman was just so overwhelming. that's all the time i have for coverage, but suzanne malveaux
11:58 am
is going to continue our coverage after the break. more information on sandy and what you can do to help those affected, please about to cnn.com/impact.
11:59 am

173 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on